Bruises
by AweAmi543
Summary: Will Solace had his entire life planned out. He'd suffer through four arduous years of high school, and then he'd get into a prestigious Ivy League college. He'd go into Medical, and become a world-famous doctor. He'd get a boyfriend, and live far, far away from his family. And he'd finally be happy. But the first part of the plan was starting to get a bit unbearable. Solangelo.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Will Solace had his entire life planned out. He'd suffer through four arduous years of high school, and then he'd get into a prestigious Ivy League college. He'd go into Medical, and become a world-famous doctor. He'd get a boyfriend, and live far, far away from his family. And he'd finally be _happy_. But the first part of the plan was starting to get a bit unbearable.

High school. Will was a top-student. He got straight A's, and he worked hard for it. Some people might consider him a nerd, others may consider him a nobody. And contrary to the multiple high school stereotypes portrayed by the media, nobody really cared enough to bully him. They knew him, but they honestly didn't give a crap if Will was smart or not.

That wasn't the issue.

The issue was that Nico di Angelo needed to stop being so…

It's for the better of society that he doesn't finish that sentence.

And how cliche of him! Someone like him...liking Nico. They were practically polar opposites! Nico was a... _punk_. And Will? Will was just your everyday science obsessed human.

He just had to fall for the _bad boy_ of Half Blood High. But he wasn't exactly bad...

But Will couldn't help it. Firstly, Nico was openly gay, which Will was (way too) excited about. Second, he was sexy as hell. Seriously, those piercings, his dark, lustrous hair, that _leather jacket_. And third, he actually was very intelligent. He was practically guaranteed admission into any college.

And that was an even bigger issue.

Will and Nico were practically arch enemies, due to their intellectual competitiveness and whatnot. They competed in every way imaginable, from working speed, to the number of words in an essay. So Will couldn't even fully like Nico without being a small bit irked.

(Who on earth said "irked" anymore? What was he, eighty?)

 _Great_ , now he was even more of a cliche.

The difference between Will and Nico, is that Nico was _cool_. He would go to parties, make out with whoever, and have fun. He hung out with the cool kids and he did all the cool things.

And that, that right there, was the greatest issue.

So there he was, in Science class (which was supposed to be his favorite class), daydreaming about his archnemesis.

"William Solace!" Called the teacher, snapping Will out of his thoughts, "What is the answer?"

Will coughed, "Uh, I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question?"

"It's number nine on the homework."

Will wasn't able to do number nine. Of course he knew how, but he was a bit occupied with...something else last night. Something that he couldn't bring himself to deal with.

Mr. Brunner frowned, "Is everything okay, William? You seem very tired."

The blond haired boy sighed, "I'm so sorry, I," he said cheeks burning, "I forgot to do number nine."

"I'll let it slide today, but this better not happen again."

Will nodded, "Yes, sir."

Mr. Brunner grinned, "Okay, Jason, can you answer number nine?"

Nico actually had the audacity to smirk at Will. And Will glared at him. The worst part that they were sitting right next to each other! The black haired boy jotted something down on a piece of paper and passed it to Will.

 _So you just didn't do number nine? I can literally see that you did every other problem haha -Nico_

If only he knew why, maybe he would shut up.

Will narrowed his eyes at the Italian, crossing his arms, "Screw you," he whispered.

"Oh, I know you want to," he said, grinning.

"Gosh," he huffed, "Why do you have to be so damn difficult all the time?"

"This just in," said Nico sarcastically, "Will Solace said the word 'damn.'"

"I hate you," he huffed.

Nico's eyes widened, "Oh, _really_? I had no idea, Solace."

"Don't-"

"Don't what?"

Nico was testing Will's patience. As much as the blonde boy liked him, he could be so _unbearably_ -

"Hey, Will," whispered Nico, "I wanted to know why you are so-"

Will was so angry, he cut Nico off.

"Why the hell are you being so _annoying_!" He yelled.

Nico's jaw dropped. He seemed surprised by Will's uncharacteristic outburst. And honestly, Will was too. It was all wearing on him. What did he just get himself into?

"William," said Mr. Brunner, "detention."

"But Nico-"

"Mr. Di Angelo will have detention as well. See me after class...both of you. Now, about the lesson..."

Will couldn't have detention. His permanent record...college! What was he going to tell his dad! His dad...Will didn't even want to begin to think about what he would do. He felt his hands start to tingle.

"Oh my god," muttered Will, "No…"

Nico glared at him and began to take notes.

Will's stomach churned uncomfortably, but he turned to Mr. Brunner and prepared himself to listen to forty-five more minutes of science.

* * *

The bell rang, signifying that class has ended. But Will's heart was pounding hard in his chest. He shouldn't have yelled in class, but now he had to face Mr. Brunner. He was so stupid! He walked up to the teacher's desk, where Nico was already standing, openly chewing gum. Will would never understand how Nico could constantly break the rules and nobody would even care, but the second he did something wrong…

"Okay, so both of you are extremely talented. But, the sad thing is that you fail to collaborate successfully."

Nico rolled his eyes, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You guys can get out of detention...without as so much as a blemish on your permanent record, because I _will_ put this on your permanent record, if you collaborate on the project I'm assigning the class tomorrow."

Will glanced at Nico, and Nico seemed to not be fond of the idea. And Will wasn't either...but he couldn't have his dad know that he messed up...not after last time.

"Can I," said Will, nervously, "can I discuss this with Nico?"

Nico looked confused, yet he remained slightly smug.

Mr. Brunner smiled kindly, "Of course. Just get back to me tomorrow."

They walked out of the classroom, falling into step with each other. Will glanced at Nico...only to find the boy intently staring at him.

"So," started Nico, "What did you want to discuss?"

Will sighed, "Look, I know you don't want to so the assignment-"

"Damn right I don't."

He bit his lip, "Please...just listen. I can't afford to get detention. My…"

Nico rolled his eyes, "Oh, _you_ can't afford to get detention? Well, if you hadn't yelled in class, then maybe-"

"Goddamit! I'm serious! I'll do whatever you want, but can you please just stand me for a few weeks on this project?

Nico wavered. Uncertainty flickered in those beautiful eyes of his. He shuffled his combat boots for a few moments before facing Will.

"Why? I know about your permanent record, but you can fix that. So what is it that is... _scaring_ you so much that you-"

"Drop it," hissed Will, "I'm not scared of-"

Will felt a lump in his throat. He didn't want to think about…

"Whatever you say," said Nico, "but I'm gonna figure it out. Whatever it is that's so scary."

And Will almost laughed.

 _Good luck trying._

"See you tomorrow, Nico," he said, as he walked off.

 **AN: Hi, this is my new story. I just want to say that I will be moving my focus to this story completely. I also want to put a trigger warning here because from this chapter it gets really dark, so if you read something that you don't like or can't handle, _leave_. I really don't want to negatively affect someone's mental health. I love you, and have an amazing day! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **AN: Thanks to anyone who followed, favorited, reviewed, or even read this story! I'll update every Wednesday.**

Will slowly creaked the front door open, trying to make the least bit of noise. As soon as he closed it, he looked up to see his dad glaring at him. His heart was racing in pure fear, but he knew he shouldn't be afraid. This had happened before. He let it happen before.

"Where were you? You're thirty minutes late."

His sidetrack with Nico put him off that long? The walk home was pretty long as well. Why did he have to mess up all the time? Why was he such a screw up? Why couldn't he-

"Answer the question," hissed Apollo, "And don't you even think about lying."

"I-I was talking to Mr. Brunner."

He raised a single brow, "About?"

Will knew that if his dad sensed even a trace of untruthfulness, he would talk to Mr. Brunner. If he was caught lying, the situation would grow worse. How much worse? Unimaginable. Will had been there before, and it broke him.

"I was discussing options to avoid detention," he whispered.

"You...what?" Apollo's blue eyes gleamed dangerously.

"I'm so sorry. It won't happen again."

Silence. But Will knew that there was more coming. There always had to be more.

"You...you piece of shit! I work so hard to provide for you, and you disappoint me like _this_?"

Will stood there, frozen in fear. It's happened a million times by now, and he still couldn't move. He knew what was going to happen next. Move, you idiot! He screamed at himself. Just move your-

Apollo cut off Will's thoughts with a blow to the stomach. It felt like someone had shot him. Will staggered back, clutching his abdomen in pain.

"Go to your fucking room!"

And Will didn't even bother to respond. There was no point in trying anymore. He walked upstairs attempting to ignore the pain in his stomach. He finally reached his room, and he shut the door. The afternoon light shone through the curtains, but he was still in a gloomy mood. He collapsed onto the bed, biting back tears.

 _Boys don't cry._

Apollo's voice rang through his ears.

 _Boys don't cry. Boys don't cry. Boys don't cry. Boys don't cry. Boys don't cry. Boys don't-_

His phone rang. Will looked at the caller-ID with blurry eyes...it was Lou. But he couldn't answer. Not now. He couldn't be a crybaby in front of his friend. He sighed and clicked decline while bringing his science textbook out.

He was going to study all night.

* * *

He finished going through majority of the chapters, but he _wanted_ to read more. The thing about studying- yes, it was forced upon him. But, it was what he lived for. Not studying, exactly. Learning. He loved learning more information; experimenting, testing theories, writing up observations. _Learning_ was what he lived for.

Why did he like science so much? It was...indescribable. He would get lost into his physics book, as if it were a Stephen King novel. Reading a biology book to him was like watching the latest episode of _Scandal_. He was completely engrossed.

Maybe that's why he liked it. It was the only thing that could distract him. The only thing that made him think of something other than...he needed to take a shower.

 _Yeah_ , he thought, _a shower seems about nice._

He walked into his bathroom. He stripped his shirt off, but noticed something in the mirror. A big, purple, ugly bruise had formed itself onto his stomach. He lightly pressed on it, hissing from the pain. He pressed on it once again, harder this time, his eyes watering. He sighed and went to shower.

* * *

Will went to Mr. Brunner's room early. It was mid-December, and the sky was a cold grey. It was windy. The wind caused Will's shirt to cling to his body, causing an uncomfortable friction with the bruise. Will wanted the sun to be out; there was a sort of comfort he felt in the sun, like everything was going to be okay. But he was stuck with this dull, boring, lifeless grey. He opened the door and found Nico already seated in the classroom.

"Uh, Mr. Brunner, I wanted to let you know-"

He smiled kindly, "Nico already told me you will be working together."

His stare turned to Nico. The brown eyed boy looked up from his textbook, but within seconds his concentration returned to his desk.

"Oh. May I ask what the assignment is?"

"That's for you and Nico to decide."

And Will knew what he was getting at. Mr. Brunner had known that Nico and him wouldn't be able to decide on a project. He was testing them; for what? He didn't know. But this little stunt he was pulling for them to "avoid detention" was definitely a part of something else. He shrugged it off and sat next to Nico.

"When do you want to work on the project?"

"Unlike you, I have a social life. I can't do weekends. After school, today?"

"Meet me at the library."

Nico winced, "Who does things at the library?"

His brow furrowed in confusion, "Me...everyone."

"My house. We'll go to my house."

Will's heart stopped in his chest, "What do you mean? When?"

Nico facepalmed, " _Idiota_. I mean _my house_. Tomorrow."

"Okay," agreed Will, mesmerized by the way _Idiota_ rolled so fluently from Nico's tongue. Even if Nico was calling him an idiot.

He turned away from Nico when his dad came into his mind. Oh, no. Would his dad let him go? Would he just think Will was messing around? Will never messed around with anyone. He only ever had two friends. Lou and Cecil. He didn't get to have a social life, he didn't get to have a boyfriend, he didn't get to have fun. What did he get? Will didn't care if his dad said no; he would find another way to go to Nico's house.

Nico's house. He wondered what it would be like. He was excited and nervous at the same time. The very idea of Nico alone made Will's heart do funny things.

"Oh, and Will?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I didn't forget about yesterday," he said.

Will scoffed, "You're delusional."

Nico bit his lip in thought, and Will tried not to explode. Running a hand through his hair, he laughed.

"You know what? I'm not gonna figure this out of my own curiosity. I'm going to figure it out just to piss you off."

Sure, Nico was smart, but he often forgot Will was also intelligent. This was a test to see how he would react. To see how he would handle Nico.

"I'm saying it one last time. I'm not scared of anything."

"Yeah, and I'm Brad Pitt."

"Go back to your science book."

Nico grinned, "We all have things we wish we could be."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Will's eyes were screwed shut. His breathing quickened. He was in the library, doing something for science, and out of nowhere this had to happen. His fingers felt numb, and he felt like the breath was knocked out of him. He felt...out of control. He tried to tell himself that it was just the library, that he needed to calm down, that he was being a freak. But the words in his head were jumbled and unclear.

He slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in the same position. He closed his eyes again. He was alone at a table. He was alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alon-

"Solace?"

It sounded blurry, fuzzy. It sounded just the barest bit real, but it was there. Will couldn't speak, but he found comfort in the voice. He wanted the voice to continue.

"Will, I...why are you just sitting there?"

His hands were shaking.

"Will. It's me, Nico. You-you...um…"

He was shaking. Was he cold?

"Okay," he mumbled, "how do I do this...Will, you-you're okay. You are in the library with...with me. You're fine."

Will wanted to scream. Fine? If he was fine then maybe he wouldn't be-maybe…Nico. Nico was here. His brain latched onto him.

"And, well, I just want you to know that I...I guess I'll be sitting here with you until you...uh…"

Will felt a small sense of control. He did what he does best; analyzing, observing. Nico di Angelo. Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and an attitude. A hell of an attitude.

"You're safe. You're with me…"

Will took deep breaths and opened his eyes to see Nico standing next to him. His arm was resting on Will's shoulder. However the second Will's eyes opened, Nico's arm recoiled.

"What the hell even was that?" Asked Nico with a nervous laugh.

And Will, with his sense of mind back in place, knew that Nico was very aware of the situation. That he had just diagnosed Will as unstable, because he had just experienced a panic attack. If he said this was the first time it happened, he would be lying. So, he didn't even bother lying to Nico.

"You know."

Nico nodded, "I know. Why?"

And it was such a question! Why? Why did this happen? It wasn't his dad. He could've sworn it wasn't his dad...or maybe it was. Maybe everything was his dad. But that terrified him, so he decided to ignore the idea.

"I don't know. I think it's stress...for our project. We need to get a good grade," he lied.

Nico allowed Will to change the topic, sitting himself down next to Will.

"What about our English essay?" He asked.

And Will didn't like English all that much. It was all thinking and analyzing. The worst was analyzing, god. He couldn't analyze things. Well, it wasn't that he couldn't...he just didn't want to. Analyzing meant understanding why, and that had been a question all his life. Why?

But Nico loved English. English to Nico was Science to Will.

"I thought you would have finished it by now. It's due tomorrow."

Nico fiddled with his earrings, "I was talking about you, dummy."

Oh. Yes, Will needed to do his English essay. He closed his science textbook for the first time that day, and sighed.

"What's the book again?"

Nico rested his head in his palm, " _Of Mice and Men_."

"Okay," said Will, "but what about science?"

"I don't care. You can just come up with an idea."

Will smiled, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For letting me choose."

"Whatever," he muttered, blushing.

Nico started to walk away, but Will remembered something.

"Nico, can I have your email? For the project."

"Email, really? That's how you want to converse?"

Will rolled his eyes, "Yes, Nico."

He shrugged, "Okay, boss. Whatever you say."

He scribbled his email down on a piece of paper and handed it to Will.

Wait, why was Nico even in the library?

* * *

Will ran back home, and remembered to be on time. He opened the door, and Apollo wasn't there looming over him like a dark cloud. He sighed in relief. He began to go up the stairs, but he tripped and fell. Right on his stomach. The bruise had turned a sickly yellow, and Will wondered if he had made things harder for himself. Obviously, he had. He stumbled to his feet and resumed towards his room.

When he reached the room, he sighed in relief. He wasn't home. Apollo was probably off screwing somebody, and Will honestly didn't care. He thought back towards the day. He couldn't believe he was going to Nico's house tomorrow. Oh god, his English essay. He needed to work on his essay. Did he even bring the book back home with him? He looked at his bed longingly...maybe if he took a twenty minute nap, he could-no. English. He rolled his eyes and dragged his laptop out.

 _Of Mice and Men._ Themes. What would a theme be? Maybe it's...friendship? No, that sounded really cheesy. He didn't want to write about something cheesy. Okay, Nico was good at this. He could ask him...no! They weren't friends, or were they? They didn't really hang out much, aside from competing in class. It wasn't like Nico would help him, anyways.

* * *

Two hours later, he had written a successful two sentences. His stomach was hurting; it felt like a thousand needles were sinking into him. He couldn't seem to write an essay on the theme of a book. He couldn't seem to think. Everything just hurt so _bad_. They didn't have pain meds at home, so Will couldn't reduce the pain. All he could do was wait it out. Will didn't want to deal with English right now.

He opened a new tab and went straight to his email. He typed up an email to send to Nico.

 _Hi Nico,_

 _I was just wondering if we would meet up right after school? And we could walk to your house? I'm honestly fine with anything._

He clicked send and then closed the tab.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Will walked into Science ten minutes early with his essay in his hand. He felt like a mess. What was he doing? Why was he off his game? Nico seemed to be doing perfectly fine. Well, maybe it could have been because he spent the entire night working on his torturous paper. He sat himself down at an empty table and sighed. He thought of proofreading his English paper, but he couldn't bring himself to read the disaster.

...But, what if he got a bad grade? What would his dad do then? Suckerpunch his chest? Fear overtook him as he quickly read his essay.

"So," said a voice he knew all too well, "What theme did you write about?"

"You didn't respond to my email," said Will, barely glancing up from his essay.

Nico rolled his eyes, "So? We'll figure it out. But I'm more interested in your essay."

Nico sat next to him and Will felt heat rise to his cheeks. Why? Nico didn't do anything weird. Maybe he could ask Nico to help him with his essay. And maybe he could revise it and print it out during lunch. Maybe he could-No. The only person Will could depend on was himself. But maybe if he just-

Nico snatched the papers out of his hands, and skimmed them.

"This," he said, "this is terrible."

Will groaned, "Thanks, Nico. I know."

He laughed, "Friendship? A good theme, but your examples are crap."

"Well-"

Nico cut him off, "You didn't even include the end! That's an example!"

Will grabbed his essay back, "I know, okay! I don't know what I'm going to do," he muttered.

He was so scared. He didn't care about his English grade, he cared about his bone structure remaining intact. If he as so much as brought home an A minus, he was dead. Not exactly dead, more like severely injured.

Nico mistook his fear for sadness, "It doesn't matter if you fail this essay. Your average grade will be fine."

"No," whispered Will, "you don't under-"

"I...could help you," he coughed, "like...during lunch or something."

Nico's brown eyes were focused on him. Only him. Will liked the idea of that. He was surprised by Nico's offer.

"Really?" He asked.

"Um, yeah. I mean, unless you don't want to or something. That's totally-"

"No, I need your help. Thank you."

Nico was bright red, "No problem," he mumbled.

He smiled.

"Okay class," said Mr. Brunner, "pull out last night's homework…"

* * *

"Um...oh! Connect the theme to...yes! Yes!" Yelled Nico excitedly.

The librarian glared at them. Will smiled at her. He found it adorable the way Nico was getting so engrossed within the essay. His eyes lit up, and his hands moved around animatedly. Will was speed-typing his essay up, and Nico was helping him along. Nico made Will like English just a little bit.

"Um...Will."

"Hm?" He hummed in distraction.

"You're, uh, staring."

Will looked back at his essay, "Sorry."

Suddenly, someone walked into the room. Nico's attention immediately shifted towards him. Will's interest was piqued, so he turned to the figure. He knew the guy; Percy Jackson. Captain of the swimming team, and all around nice guy. Percy noticed Nico and he walked over to them.

"Jason was wondering where you were. He wanted to make sure you were eating," said Percy.

Nico rolled his eyes, but he was blushing. Will wondered why. Why Percy? Why did Nico look at the guy the second he entered the room. Why didn't he look at Will that way?

"I'm just helping Will out with his essay."

Percy looked at Will, "Oh, okay. I'll just tell Jason that you won't be-"

Will felt bad.

 _He didn't want to keep Nico from Percy_ , he thought bitterly.

"No, Nico, it's okay. You can go."

"No, it's fine."

"No, really," insisted Will, "It's fine."

Nico looked at him funny.

With his eyes trained on Will, Nico said, "Percy, tell Jason I won't be coming."

Percy shrugged and walked off.

"What was that about?" Asked Nico.

Will shrugged, "I don't know what you're talking about."

 _How about the fact that you can't keep your eyes off Percy freaking Jackson?_

Why was he getting so jealous? He liked Nico, sure, but he didn't think that-

"Oh shit," said Nico, "Print your paper now, cause we have five minutes until English."

And amongst everything, Will still felt the need to yell, "Language!"

Nico laughed.

Yeah, that librarian was sure as hell pissed off at them.

* * *

After Science, Will walked over to Nico's desk. It occurred to him that he never asked his dad about going to Nico's house, but he would say no anyways. He just wanted to do something for once without his stupid excuse for a dad getting mad at him.

"So," said Nico, "should we go?"

"Yeah."

They walked out of the classroom, and left the school. Will didn't want it to be an awkward walk, so he decided to make conversation.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you like English so much?"

Nico tilted his head, "Uh...I guess it's because every other subject is more strict facts. Except for Art. Like in History, when this event happened in this year. Or Science. Or Math. English...it's-it's open to interpretation. There's not really a wrong answer? Well, there are wrong answers, but-I don't know it's hard to explain. Sorry. I guess I'm rambling."

Will liked the sound of Nico's voice. Will wanted to know more.

"No, go on."

They walked.

"Okay...well, I prefer writing. Creative writing. Poetry, short stories, that kind of stuff. So with that, it's like expressing yourself. I know it sounds cheesy and all, but the stuff we do in class, it has meaning," he was blushing, "Anyways, enough about me. What about you? Why do you like Science?"

And Will wasn't sure if he could really tell Nico why. He couldn't give Nico a real description.

He settled for, "It's my life."

And it wasn't supposed to be this way. This wasn't supposed to be so deep. It wasn't supposed to have so much meaning. It was just supposed to be a filler conversation between two high schoolers. But it was more. It meant more to Will.

"What do you mean?"

"It's what I live for. It's what I want to do with my life. It's everything to me."

Nico looked at him, really looked at him.

"Oh."

Will lightened up the conversation, "What's your favorite color?"

Nico sighed.

"It used to be green, but...blue is kinda growing on me. What's yours?"

Will would usually say yellow, but now, all he could think about was his bruise. What other colors did he like? Well, he liked orange. It reminded him of the sunrise. Not the sunset though, he didn't like the sunset.

"Orange."

"Why?"

Will shrugged, as if he hadn't thought about it mere seconds before, "Sunrise."

"We're here."

It was a short walk. He wanted it to be longer, so he could get to know Nico more. But for now, his only focus was Science.

"Let's go."

 **AN: Thank you guys so much for the feedback on this story; reading your reviews make me really happy. I upload every Wednesday, so I hope you come back next Wednesday. Have a nice day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **AN: Hey! Guess what? It's Wednesday!**

"All we need to do now is the diagram and the powerpoint. You're drawing the diagram."

Nico scoffed, "Why do _I_ have to do that?"

"Because if I drew it, it would be a stick figure," snapped Will.

Nico laughed, and Will felt a surge of happiness. He loved when Nico's eyes twinkled with pure elation.

"Okay, okay," he said chuckling, "fine."

"I think we're done with the first half."

It was pitch black outside. They had been working nonstop since they reached Nico's house, and they still hadn't finished their project. Well, at least it gave Will an excuse to come over again.

Nico groaned, "Seriously?"

"Yeah."

" _Cazzo_."

"Huh?"

Nico smirked, "Nothing," he sing-songed.

Will huffed. He was so going to google that later. Suddenly his phone rang. He stiffened; he knew exactly who it was. He just couldn't move his hand toward his phone. He couldn't breathe. Everything suddenly went in slow motion, from Nico's confusion, to the clock ticking.

He felt so stupid for thinking that nothing would happen; hell, he knew something would happen. He knew something would happen the second he got paired up with Nico for this project.

What would happen was that he was going to go home, have a _literal_ near death experience, and study.

And the phone was still buzzing; a loud painful reminder that this was real. This was all real. He could practically _feel_ the pain he would be in. Would he even be able to go to school tomorrow? Who was he kidding, he wouldn't get a choice.

"Will! Will, answer your phone!"

Oh, Nico. But he couldn't. Because that would make everything worse. That would just embarrass himself in front of Nico. That would be mortifying. _That_ would make him look weak. So he didn't answer the phone.

He grabbed his backpack and left, without even muttering a goodbye.

* * *

By the time he reached home, his door was already open. Will dreaded walking in, but it wasn't like he had any other option. The second he was inside, the door slammed shut. He winced.

"Where were you?"

 _I'm sixteen. Can't you let me do something on my own?_

"I was studying at-"

Apollo slapped him, and he slapped him _hard._ Will clutched his cheek in pain. He tried to think with the stinging on the right side of his face, but all he could was stand there.

"Don't lie."

"I-"

Punch. Will fell to the foor. Kick, kick, punch. When will it end? He felt something wet on his face. Is that blood? And the worst part of it all was that Apollo kept him conscious. He wanted Will to feel every punch, as it bruised his skin.

" _You ungrateful coward! Be a man and get up_!"

With one last kick, everything stopped, and Will heard footsteps going off in the distance. He tried to get up, but pain shot throughout his body. The pain was all he could focus on; it was all he could think pain was all he could feel.

But he had to finish his homework, and study science, and go over his Spanish notes because he had a test coming up. How could his dad expect him to do all this when couldn't even move? His eyes watered.

He couldn't do this anymore. But the saddest thing about the situation was that he wanted to. He _wanted_ to succeed. His ambition always took over for him when he was down. The pure, raw passion he had was all he could count on in the moment. But why would he want to? Why is it worth it?

He forced himself up, feeling the tears roll down his cheeks. His whole body was screaming for help. He grabbed his backpack. Limping up the stairs, he went to his room. He splayed the books out on his desk. He was tempted by his bed.

And a part of him told himself to shut up. To work hard and leave this prison forever. But, another part of him, a much larger part wanted to say, _screw it all_.

Will ignored that part. He had worked so hard, and he wasn't going to throw it all away for a few bruises.

Just a few bruises...

* * *

Will heard his alarm go off. The sound blared into his ears as he scrambled to his feet. Pain shot throughout his body. He was sore.

He went over to the clock and noticed the time: four-thirty a.m. He went over to his bathroom and took his clothes off for a shower. He caught his reflection in the mirror.

His body was littered with bruises. The one on his stomach remained, but there were countless new ones. Purple, yellow, red. He cringed at the sight of himself. He looked disgusting.

Why didn't he just report his dad to the police? He had all the resources.

A sick part of him still cared about his dad. Apollo was a monster, but Will hoped that maybe Apollo cared about him. Maybe Apollo loved him.

It was just that Will reminded Apollo of his mom. Apollo was probably just hurt, and took it out on Will. It was okay as long his dad still loved him.

Because, if he didn't, Will had _no one_.

He hated himself for caring. He wished so bad that he could muster up the courage to tell someone. Anyone.

His greatest enemy was himself.

 _He_ hid everything, _he_ didn't say a word, _he_ cared about his dad.

So maybe he deserved it. He was being stupid for caring, and this was the world's way of trying to get him to stop caring. This was the world's way of getting him to "man up."

He showered for a few minutes, wincing in pain at the stinging sensation of the warm water.

* * *

Will was watching Nico in English, dazed. Look at him, so genuinely interested in the book, jotting down a note every now and then. He was beautiful. So completely and utterly beautiful. Nico noticed Will staring and smirked. He quickly blushed and looked away.

"Now class," said their teacher, "I'm going to call you guys up here to write a theme on the board and explain it."

A few hands were raised.

"And don't raise your hands," she rolled her eyes.

Will tried not to make eye contact. What book was it again?

"Ah, Will! Come up here."

Will sighed and limped to the front of the classroom. He coughed and looked at the book on Nico's desk; _Animal Farm_. Will opened the marker, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He forgot the entire book. Did he even read it? The book was about animals, right? Or was it some weird metaphor that the author came up with? Who was the author again?

The teacher pointedly looked at him, "You _did_ do the assigned reading, right?"

And his heart started to race. Not again. Not here. Not now. Why him?

"I...need to go," he said, running out the door.

 **AN: Also, to FestusLives, I made Apollo the bad guy because I always end up writing Solangelo fics with Nico as the "damaged" one and I wanted to try something different. So I decided that I wanted Will to deal with abuse. Obviously Apollo shows no traits like this in the actual books, but I wanted to put the characters in different situations. As for Will being introduced to the gang; you'll just have to see. Also, thank you so much for the kind words! :)**

 **(If anyone else has any questions about the story, I would be more than happy to answer.)**

 **Have a nice day everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The bell rang. Will should've been leaving English by now, and going to Science. But, then again, he also should've been mentally stable. He felt as if someone had their arms wrapped around his neck, constricting his throat. He couldn't speak, and he definitely couldn't go to class. He was just pacing around the boy's bathroom like an idiot.

God, he was such an idiot.

So, today wasn't going well.

 _That's an understatement._

The door suddenly jerked open and Will jumped back at the sight of Nico. What the hell was he doing here? He wasn't supposed to be here. Nico was looking at Will with an unreadable expression in his eyes. At least it wasn't pity. He despised it when people pitied him. It made him feel weak.

"Will…"

Will tried to take deep breaths. He tried to calm himself down, but it wasn't working. He could practically hear his heart pounding, loud enough to shatter his eardrums. He wanted to yell at his body to stop it. Why was he like this? This wasn't fair. Why him? Why him? _Why did it always have to be him?_

Nico tentatively walked towards him, lightly touching his arm. There was a bruise under his sleeve that stung.

"I'm going to walk you to the office, okay? And you can go home to your dad-"

At the mention of his dad, he felt his eyes water. He jolted his arm from Nico and stumbled back against the wall. That was a mistake, as he was still sore from the previous night.

"No!" He screamed.

"Will, calm down. What do you need?"

"I-I…I need-"

 _I need help._

 _I need to see a doctor._

 _I need-_

"What do you need?" repeated Nico, panicking.

Will shut his eyes tightly. He felt cornered. He was so overwhelmed with everything and he just wanted to be alone.

"...Science t-textbook...please?" he quietly asked.

He was trying to get Nico out of the room.

"Um, yeah. Of course."

"Thanks," he whimpered.

He sounded pathetic. He _felt_ pathetic.

 _You ungrateful coward! Be a man and get up!_

He could practically hear his dad screaming in his ear.

But he couldn't. He was weak, and tired, and so _done_ with everything. Done with school. Done with his dad. Done with _everything_.

He needed to get over himself. Millions of people go through exactly what he's dealing with, and they aren't complaining. They aren't like Will. They're strong, and they're quick on their feet.

Why couldn't he be like them?

After a few moments, Nico rushed in with a large AP Chemistry textbook.

"You don't want to go home?"

Will nodded, tears in his eyes.

Nico sighed running a hand through his hair. The situation was clearly tense. The silence was deafening.

He really didn't want to go home. Could he even call that place home?

"I'll tell Mr. Brunner that you felt sick. You can come home with me."

Really? Will couldn't trust his ears at the moment. He felt like a fifty pound weight was removed from his chest.

"R-Really?"

He bit his pink lips, "Yeah...I, uh, yeah. I'll meet you here after school."

"Thank you, Nico."

Nico stared at Will hard, "Will, do you...nevermind."

He walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

The trees were dead and the sky was gray.

 _How nice._

They were almost at Nico's house, and Will was about to pass out. It was always terrible after an episode. He felt so worn out and tired. He just wanted a nap.

"What's the homework?"

"Mr. Brunner told me that our only work is to finish the project."

"Oh," said Will.

"Do you need to see the counselor?" Blurted Nico.

"What?"

"Look, in the bathroom-"

Will felt a surge of panic. This was definitely something he didn't want to talk about. Yes, he knew that Nico was there. He knew that Nico knew what he had experienced in that bathroom. But he didn't want to talk about the damn bathroom.

Nico started again, "Will, if you need help-"

His chest felt hot, like it was going to explode. He was angry. Nico was pitying him.

"I don't need help," he gritted out, "I just need to ace that project."

"...Will. Will! Look at me!"

He turned to Nico, but didn't look him in the eye.

" _Will_ ," he murmured.

His eyes met Nico's and as stupid as it sounds, Will felt safe. He wasn't scared, or on edge. He was calm and secure.

"What." He couldn't manage anything above a whisper.

"This isn't normal," Nico gently said.

Normal? Will ought to have burst out into a fit of laughter. Of course he knew he wasn't normal. But nobody's really normal. Everyone's messed up in their own way. Right?

Or was he just saying that to make himself seem less messed up then he really is?

"Nobody's normal."

"You're afraid...of something...and it's taking over you. Can't you see?"

"I'm not afraid!" Yelled Will.

"Look, I don't hate you. I've never hated you. In fact, I think you're amazing. But this," he gestured to Will, "this is not okay. I don't want to see you like this."

"You don't even know me."

Nico bit his lip, "I'd like to get to know you more…"

Wait, what?

"What does that mean?"

Nico was blushing. _Blushing_!

"It means I'd like to get to know you more," he muttered.

* * *

The project was finished, and Will could not be more happy.

"Done!" Exclaimed Will, smiling.

Nico smirked, "Fucking finally."

"Language," said Will.

Nico looked at the blond haired boy and grinned, "Fu-"

Will covered his ears, "Shut up!"

Nico silenced. He still had that stupid smirk on his face, and Will just wanted to slap it off. Or, maybe kiss it off. Either would work. Nico's brown eyes were consumed with Will, and his cheeks were bright red.

"Make me."

Will could feel his heartbeat speed up, but in a good way this time. Euphoria overtook him.

"Maybe I will," he said.

 **AN: Cliffhanger!**

 **To the guest that asked when Nico will find out about Will's dad...well, he may find out soon, or he may never find out. ;)**

 **I'm so evil I'm sorry.**

 **Sorry for the late update. Writer's block can screw me up sometimes.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **AN: Fucking hell, I'm so sorry. I don't know how to explain the reason I didn't update for such a long time. I want every chapter to live up to a certain standard, and this one was just not doing it for me. It's short, and I'm not very happy with it. I have a plot that I'm trying to follow, and we needed to get to this part to move along. A lot more is going to be happening after this chapter. I didn't want to post something that I wasn't happy with. This is as good as it's going to get so I hope you don't mind. Sorry, again.**

It felt like electricity was buzzing in the air. The energy was undeniable.

Will was high off of the rapid beating of his heart. He didn't think about the pain he had gone through, or the multitude of bruises on his skin. He was too distracted by the way Nico was looking at him. Oh my gods, _the way Nico was looking at him_. His eyes were shining with desire and a bit of mystery. That lip piercing was just begging to be...ahem.

 _Make me._

 _Maybe I will._

He scooted closer to Nico. He could hear the black-haired boy's breathing hitch. Will nervously rested his hand on Nico's shoulder, and he leaned in.

Nico's lips tasted like licorice. Not that overly-sweet kind where you feel sick with just one bite. It was the soft, mellow tasting type. With the first kiss, he knew he was addicted. He ran his fingers through Nico's silky hair, pulling him closer.

They pulled away. Will smiled, suddenly energized from the kiss. To his surprise (and happiness), a smile made its way onto Nico's face as well.

He just felt so happy. Happy, he felt happy! He wanted to shout out loud, _I just kissed Nico di Angelo! Yeah, I just got the hottest guy at school to kiss me!_

"This is nice," said Nico quietly.

"Yeah," said Will.

And it hit him that this situation was what he had wanted for so long. Did Nico feel the same way? Was Nico just kissing him because he felt bad for Will? What were they? Or maybe-

So the happiness was short lived.

Nico pulled him in for another kiss.

Where was he going to stay tonight? He was too sore from last night, so he couldn't go back home.

He should be enjoying this! Why couldn't he focus?

What was going on? Nico was supposed to fix him, so why was he still feeling so broken?

* * *

He left about an hour after that. He didn't know where the hell he was going, but he knew he wasn't going home. He couldn't go home.

He fumbled with his phone for a few moments.

Lou! He should call Lou! Wait...what if she couldn't help him? He just needed a place to stay.

Screw it; he was calling her.

The phone rang for a few moments before she answered.

"Hello? Will?"

"Lou," he said softly, "hi."

"Are you okay? You sound...drained."

Good god, _drained_. That really sunk in.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he lied.

"Oh...okay, what's up?"

"Do-do you think I can stay at your house tonight?"

"Whoa! Will, what are you doing?"

Despite his current condition, he almost laughed at that. His intentions were only to prevent future injuries, not...whatever she was thinking.

"No! Lou, I don't want to-no!"

She was silent for a moment, "Well, you don't have to say it like that."

He really didn't want to bring up his sexuality, but that was the only way out of this.

"Um, I don't like girls."

" _Oh_. Okay, well, why do you need to stay at my place?"

His eyes were suddenly getting watery. Should he tell her?

"I'll explain later, but can I?"

"Yeah, of course. Anytime. I'll text you the address."

Anytime. He really hoped she meant it.

* * *

"Will," laughed Lou, "if that was the reason it's no big deal! You made it sound like your dad had a heart attack or something."

"Yeah. Sorry, his business trip was late notice."

"Don't apologize! Now we can finally finish this season of Scandal."

He needed clothes. Was his dad home tonight? He really hoped not. He just made this situation ten times worse for himself. He's such an idiot!

Everything was closing in on him. Everything was _closing in on him_. The walls were squeezing him, crushing his insides. He couldn't open his mouth to breathe. He was frozen. Where did Lou go? Did she just disappear, leaving him to fend for himself?

Shaking. His hands were shaking again. Everything was shaking. The walls were shaking, and the ground. The ground just wanted to knock him off his feet.

"Will!"

Someone was calling his name. He turned to see his dad. His dad?

"Dad?" He asked.

"Will, is this some joke?"

His dad's frowning face was flickering, like a broken light bulb.

"No, sorry. I'll go to my room."

Something grabbed him and shook him. Fear immediately overtook him.

"Stop! I'm sorry!" He screamed, his eyes shut.

"You're scaring me!"

He's scaring...his dad? What?

"Huh? Dad-"

"I'm not your dad, I'm Lou!"

"Lou...what?"

And the puzzles pieced back together, creating the horrifying image he had tried to avoid for so long. He wanted to kill himself. He really did.

"Will, what's really going on?"

He didn't even know himself.

"I-"

Her eyes bore into his, "Don't you dare lie to me."

And he wanted so badly to tell Lou everything. He wanted to tell her about how it hurt to move, to tell her how he was in such a bad place mentally. He didn't want- he needed.

It's a funny thing. The difference between wanting and needing something. Most of the time you can't tell which is which. But Will could tell; he _needed_ this. This one moment could fix him. He just wanted to be fixed.

He needed it, and he didn't care.

"I was just messing around," he muttered, "I guess it got too far."

"No kidding." She sighed in relief, but still looked on edge.

He inhaled sharply, "Let's go watch Scandal."

Even if he did tell her, she wouldn't be able to handle it. Nobody would.

What would he even say? _Oh yeah, my dad's been beating me up for the past year and a half and it just got really severe now. Can you help me?_

It'd be a cold day in hell before he told anyone about this.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"So, Will, Nico. This is your final project?"

Mr. Brunner had one brow raised. The teacher fumbled with his glasses, slightly lifting them.

Nico grinned uneasily, "Uh, yeah. You see the diagram shows that-that, Will?"

Will rolled his eyes, a smile forming onto his face, "We wanted to capture a visual representation of the reaction...we also took pictures, which we included in the powerpoint, but-"

"I understand," said Mr. Brunner, "it's amazing."

"Wait, really?" Asked Nico in disbelief.

"Yes. The amount of time in which you put this together is astounding."

"Hell, yeah!" Yelled Nico.

"Language," said Will...and Mr. Brunner.

Nico laughed and wrapped an arm around Will. Not even two seconds later, his arm dropped.

The brown eyed boy cleared his throat, "I should get going."

"Wait a minute," said Mr. Brunner, calmly

"Yeah?" Asked Nico.

"I want you both to join the Science Olympiad team. Since you didn't try out, I gave you a test assignment. So, the spots are open if you want it."

Will's heart soared. But then he remembered exactly why he didn't sign up in the first place.

"Don't you guys go on out of state trips?"

Mr. Brunner smiled, "Why yes, William, we do."

There was no way on earth that his dad would let him go on a trip out of school, let alone _out of state_.

"I'm in," said Nico, "considering that Will's joining too."

You know what? Will was going to do this. Screw his dad. Screw the bruises. Screw the pain. Screw everything.

"I'm in too."

"Great. All I need is a permission slip," said Mr. Brunner.

The bell rang. School was over.

Will was going to get that permission slip signed even if he had to go through his dad beating him up. Mr. Brunner handed them both a permission slip, and told them to turn it in by the end of the week. They walked out of the room together.

Will spared a glance at Nico. What were they? Was Nico just messing around with him, or did he actually like Will? He could feel his cheeks reddening.

"Will."

He turned to face Nico, nervous of what he would say. But Nico didn't say anything, he just pulled Will into a kiss.

Alright, then. Will wanted to have an actual conversation, but-

"Nico di Angelo, getting it on!" Yelled someone from across the hallway.

Will immediately pulled away to see Percy and Jason speed-walking towards them.

"What the actual fuck," whispered Nico.

"I swear, Nico, if you don't watch your langua-"

Percy and Jason reached the two and began pestering Nico with questions.

"Okay, now can you introduce me?" Asked Percy.

"Are you guys official?" Asked Jason.

"Wait...did you guys…you know..." Started Percy, raising his eyebrows.

Jason glared at Will, "If you hurt him, I'll beat you up."

That was especially funny, because Will already had enough of that. He hadn't even noticed that he was gripping Nico's hand like a madman. Nico began rubbing soothing circles across Will's hand, trying to calm him down.

"Shut up!" Interjected Nico.

"We're just trying to make sure that _Will_ here isn't trying anything with you," said Jason.

Will began to feel overwhelmed. Really, really overwhelmed. Like his heart was going to explode out of his chest and fly away. And not in a good way. He squeezed Nico's hand tighter. When did he stop being able to have a normal conversation?

" _I'm fine_ ," hissed Nico, "if anyone's not fine it's- nevermind. You guys need to relax."

Nico continued the circular motions on Will's hand.

"I'm glad you finally found someone that's your type," joked Percy.

Will found himself drifting away from Nico, walking towards the school's exit. He could hear people calling his name, but he just couldn't bring himself to look behind him. His eyes were begging for sleep, he needed a shower, and he wanted a decent meal. Was that too much to ask for?

 _Yes._

He was outside, grimacing at the feeling of the cold air. Everything appeared in slow motion as he walked.

"Will!"

Will shut his eyes, "Stop!"

Nico walked over to Will and took off his jacket. He gently laid a hand on Will's shoulder.

"Look, I'm sorry about my friends. You don't need to talk to them. Take my jacket, it's cold. C'mon let's go inside."

Will stared at Nico's outstretched hand, feeling tears prickle his eyes. Why the hell was he crying now? It didn't even make any sense. Nothing made any sense!

"I…"

Nico sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Will, I need you to be honest with me. _What's going on?_ "

He could feel the wind against his skin, and the light rain. He could see Nico staring at him with concern.

But all he said was, "Help me _._ "

Nico dropped his jacket and hugged the blonde boy tightly.

Will swore he could hear Nico whisper, "If only I knew how."

* * *

When Will got home, his door was unlocked.

He walked inside, and gasped at the sight of his living room. Everything was completely trashed. The lamp that he was so used to seeing on the counter was shattered on the floor. The chairs and sofas were overturned. The vase full of flowers was empty, the colorful tulips strewn all over the floor. All he could think was: _What happened?_

"Dad?" he called out.

He was probably going to get a terrible beating, but he didn't care. He hoped nothing bad happened when he was gone. He hoped his dad wasn't hurt.

No answer.

Will slowly walked up the stairs, hearing the familiar creak at the third one. He had an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

He walked into his dad's room, and he could see his dad staring out the window.

"Dad?"

"Where were you?" Asked his dad, shakily.

His dad sounded...scared? No, Will must be wrong. His dad was never scared of anything.

"I-I was at my friend's house."

His dad turned, facing towards Will.

"Will," he said, "never do that again."

"I'm sorry," whispered Will.

And all of a sudden, Will didn't feel so afraid anymore.

 **AN: Sorry about the late update! I'm working on getting rid of my Writer's Block. Just know that everything going on in this story is not what it seems. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

So there Will was, standing there, blankly staring at his dad.

He wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid. _He wasn't afraid._

"Um, dad, I got into the Science Olympiad team. Can you please sign this permission slip?"

Apollo slowly rose up from his position, "What did you just say?"

And then there was the fear again, crippling him.

"The permission slip," whispered Will.

"You fucking _moron_!"

Will expected his dad to punch him, slap him, maybe even kick him. What came next was even worse.

"You waste of space!" He shouted, "You're worthless."

This wasn't supposed to happen. His dad was just supposed to beat him up...right? Well, his dad would usually do this before a beating.

"I'm sorry, I'll study," he said, as he had multiple times before.

He tried to walk out of his dad's way, but Apollo stopped him.

"You shouldn't even fucking exist! You're a mistake."

"Dad, please…" said Will, weakly.

"No, don't call me Dad. I'm Apollo to you. What's wrong with you?"

So many things. So many damn things were wrong with him. He'd have panic attacks out of nowhere, he couldn't maintain a stable relationship with anyone, and he'd get beat up by his dad on the daily. But somehow, this hurt worse than all the bruises. This felt like a thousand needles were stabbing him. _This_ felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and cut it with a goddamn knife.

"I…"

"Everything, that's what. You can't do anything right!"

He's right.

"Will, do you have nothing to say?" Yelled Apollo, "Say something you idiot!"

He's right.

"Open your damn mouth and say something! Why are you such a little bitch!"

 _He's right._

Tears rolled down Will's cheeks.

"You're right, I'm sorry," said Will, defeated.

"Of course I'm right. Go to your room before I change my mind!"

Will ran up to his room in pain.

He wished he could've just gotten more bruises. He was just going to have to sign that permission slip himself.

* * *

"Will," said Nico, "why are your eyes all red?"

"I was just up all night studying for-"

"Science," finished Nico, a slight smirk on his face.

Will smiled and nodded. Sadly, it was just a lie. At this point, he was used to it. He could lie as easily as he could complete a science project. He intertwined his hand with Nico's, reveling in the warmth and comfort. But, there only is so much warmth when one is in Will's situation.

"Did you get your permission slip signed?" Asked Nico.

Will's hand tightened around Nico's.

"Yeah, I sent a picture to Mr. Brunner." he gritted out.

"You okay?"

Will bit his lip, "I'm fine."

They reached the school. It just felt intimidating to Will for no reason at all. Intimidating? His high school filled with morons should be anything but intimidating.

Percy and Jason walked over to the two with a solemn expression on their face. Will could see that they were walking away from their girlfriends, Annabeth and Piper. Annabeth was frankly scary, and Piper was sweet. Both could murder you, though. They were just nice enough to be popular.

"We're sorry," said Jason, looking at Will.

"Yeah," chimed in Percy, "we're just really protective over Nico. He's been through a lot of shit, and-"

"He's just been happier with you," stated Jason, "it's clear that you're helping him in some way."

Percy raised his brows, "Okay, now that just sounds sexual."

" _You made_ it sound sexual."

"We should get going now," laughed Percy.

They walked away, and it occurred to Will that Nico had his own battles too.

Will was so in his own head that he couldn't even make the time to help Nico with any of _his_ struggles. He was so selfish! For all he knew, Nico could be going through something worse.

"Nico, I'm so sorr-"

"What on earth could you be apologizing for?" Asked Nico, arms crossed.

"I never asked you about your issues. I never-"

Nico rolled his eyes, "I don't have issues anymore. I'm fine. And Will, you aren't even telling me about your issues! I need answers, or else I can't help you."  
Will felt his heart begin to race, "No, you don't understand."

"Can you tell me what I don't understand? Please!"

His body hurt. His brain hurt. His heart hurt.

People were staring at them. People were _watching_ them.

"I can't."

"No, I'm not going to see you suffer like this. Not after..." said Nico.

The bell rang.

"Nico, please. I need you," whispered Will.

"What you need is help, and if you can't get that, then what's going to happen?"

"I-"

Nico rubbed his eyes, "I have to get to class. We can talk later."

Later.

But now? Now Will was all alone in the hallway, choking on his own tears.

* * *

"Welcome to the Science Olympiad meeting!" said Mr. Brunner.

Will could feel Nico staring at him.

"We have two new additions, which are-"

"Will Solace and Nico di Angelo," said Octavian, a well-know jerk, "as if we don't know them already."

Mr. Brunner rolled his eyes, "Well, anyhow, Will and Nico made it just in time for our next tournament, in San Francisco, California."

"California?" Blurted out Will.

New York to California...his dad would kill him.

"Yup, I know right? Crazy for a tight-ass like you!" said Octavian.

"Shut up," said Nico.

Will had just assumed that Nico hated him. What was that?

"That's enough Octavian," chided Mr. Brunner, "we don't tolerate bullies here. We have the money saved up, so all you need to do is pack up and show up here on Saturday."

"What time?" Asked Nico.

"Six in the morning."

Six in the morning? Apollo would be up by five.

He wanted to participate. He _needed_ to participate.

Apollo could go hold a knife to his throat, and Will wouldn't care. He was going to Cali-

"You guys can leave, but don't forget to study," started Mr. Brunner, "Will, Nico, can you guys come up here?"

Will walked up to Mr. Brunner with Nico close behind him.

"You both know what subjects we're going to be competing with, right?"

"Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, and Biology," answered Will.

"And there's a-"

"Written and oral portion," completed Nico.

Mr. Brunner chuckled and shook his head, "I don't even need to worry about you guys. You got this. See you on Saturday."

Will quickly walked off in a feeble attempt to avoid Nico, but the black-haired boy was closely following him.

"What the fuck, Will!"

Will crossed his arms, trying to stop them from shaking, "What?"

"I said we would talk later, not never! You can't just-"

Anger bubbled up in Will's chest, "Yes, actually. I can!"

"Where is this coming from? I'm trying to help you!"

Will was silent.

"You know," said Nico, "I just wanted to apologize for being so harsh. I guess I'll just leave you alone."

Will couldn't let Nico walk away. Without Nico, he had no one. He probably scared Lou away, and his dad despised him. But Nico actually cared about him. Someone really gave enough of a crap about him to try and help him.

"I can't explain. I'm," he was on the verge of tears, "I'm trying, Nico. I can't explain without seeming-"

Nico sighed and walked over to Will. The Italian cupped Will's cheek softly.

"When you feel that you can," he laughed bitterly, "feel free to send me an email."

"Nico-"

"No, I can wait...I'll wait for you. But I think after the trip, we should spend some time apart. You need time alone to figure yourself out."

 **AN: It get's better! I think. Or maybe it doesn't...you'll just have to see.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **AN: Holy crap! Ten chapters! OMGOGMGOGOSPGLRJLJLFjsL. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, or even read this story so far! Every single review puts a smile on my face and inspires me to keep on writing. I love all of you so much! Also, I decided to update twice this week, this chapter being, my second update. Enjoy. :)**

Stress.

Churning of the stomach, rapid heartbeat, and panic attacks. A whole lot of panic attacks.

Everything was _stressing_ him out.

Will somehow managed to stuff a week's worth of clothes in one backpack. All he needed was his passport, but that was in his dad's study.

The day he went into his dad's study would be the day he died. That room was forbidden. And thank the gods it was, because it scared the living hell out of him. Just being near the study, Will could sense the negative energy.

But he needed that passport. It was a Wednesday night (11:47 pm. to be exact), and he only had two more days until Saturday.

He slowly descended down the stairs, making sure not make any noise. He reached the study, and he could practically feel his poor little heart pounding. He reached for the door, and sure enough, it was locked. So now what could he do?

His eyes scanned the dark living room for a key, but nothing was there. Did Apollo have the key with him? Well, in that case, Will was going to die. Literally, not figuratively.

He went back up the stairs, and noticed that his dad's room door was wide open. Will cautiously walked in, his fear growing with every step. He peered in, only to notice the monster of a dad asleep. And the key was right next to him.

Will reached for the key, and quietly went back to the study.

The second he was inside, he began to search for his passport. He didn't have the time to snoop through Apollo's things, because he wasn't trying to have his dad murder him. He went through a few drawers and cupboards, but he found nothing. He noticed a glass of wine on the desk. Since when did his dad drink wine? He turned his head, and saw a beer on a table. Will rolled his eyes. He was so sick of his dad screwing anything that moves.

Focus!

Will looked through an another cupboard, and saw a few papers sticking out of the sides. He pulled them out, and they were his documents and passport. Suddenly, he began to hear footsteps down the stairs.

He hastily closed everything up, grabbed the key, and locked the door. He hid behind a piece of furniture. He could hear his dad grumbling in the dark, stumbling over to the kitchen. Apollo probably just wanted a glass of water or something.

Will ran up the stairs so fast, he could've been the Flash. Hopefully, his dad wouldn't hear anything.

He put the key back in it's place and went back to his room, locking the door.

He sat at his desk, papers in hand, proud of himself.

Oh god, he was _proud_ of himself. Proud of sneaking his passport past his dad? Yeah, great accomplishment. He rose from his desk, accidentally banging his leg against the pointed edge.

He whimpered.

The bruises were getting worse. Will had hoped they would've been gone by now. He looked like he had some disease. He really just wanted to look normal. But, ignore the looks. Will had tried to forget about the pain, tried to focus on something else. Anything else. But every time he took a warm shower, or was out in the cold, he'd feel a searing pain all over his body. Every time he moved, they would sting.

Wait, didn't he have a test tomorrow? What subject?

English.

And he couldn't help but think about Nico. Without Nico, Will was definitely failing that test.

What did that mean, anyway? "You need to figure yourself out." The last thing he needed was space. They _did_ rush into whatever they had together.

Okay, so maybe he needed space.

But, that didn't mean that he _wanted_ space.

Would he just be forced to go back to being enemies with Nico? Will didn't want to do that. He really liked the guy.

He could think about Nico later. He needed to study for that damn English test. He glanced at his alarm clock.

Twelve in the morning.

Nice.

* * *

Will was just exiting his first period class when he bumped into a very muscular chest. Hands squeezed his shoulders and pushed him back. He was met with the unapologetic face of Jason Grace. His brows were squeezed together, and his lips were pursed. But his eyes were the worst of all. He was looking at Will with a literal hatred, as if the only thing Jason wanted to do was murder him.

So, he must have figured out that Nico and him weren't a thing anymore.

"C'mon," gritted out Jason.

Will felt like he was going to throw up. That was especially funny, because he hadn't eaten in a long while.

He followed Jason into the boy's bathroom. He was so going to be late to his next class.

"I warned you," said Jason.

Will felt his vision begin to blur. Was he crying. Now, seriously? Of all the goddamn times he could cry, his body chose to-

"Well," boomed Jason, "you gonna say anything?"

He sounded just like Apollo. Will felt wetness on his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?"

And Will couldn't help it, but his weakness took over him, "Please don't hurt me."

"I'm not going to hurt you, man. I just want answers as to why Nico's so...down."

"Don't hurt me," pleaded Will.

Jason appeared confused. He quickly moved towards Will, and Will ran backwards. He felt his shirt ride up.

 _Crap._

 _Crap. Crap. Crap. Cra_ -

"Oh my god! What happened there?"

Will's stomach dropped. He immediately froze.

Jason's jaw dropped, "Stay still," he murmured.

At this point, it didn't really matter if Jason beat him up. He could still make to the tournament. As long as Jason didn't hit his face, Will could make an excuse.

But Jason didn't beat him up. Jason just slowly lifted up Will's shirt, and Will let him. Will _let_ his eyes scan the painful bruises that he had been hiding.

Jason let go of Will's shirt and met his eyes. Jason's eyes now looked concerned.

"You need to tell someone about this," he whispered, "because Nico definitely doesn't know. Who gave these to you?"

Will couldn't let Jason mess everything up. Will had a plan. He was sticking to his plan.

"No, please don't tell anyone," he said through sniffles, "it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Yelled Jason, "It is so a big deal! Will, people care about you, whether you know it or not!"

"Please stop yelling," said Will, quietly.

"Will, who is hurting you?"

"No one."

Jason sighed, "This isn't good for you."

Of course it wasn't good for him! Did Jason think that Will was just some sick masochist, who enjoyed getting beat up? Will didn't want to be put in custody of some other family, who could do worse.

"I have to get to class."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **AN: Hi! Back with another chapter! I had finals, and my school semester was finishing up, so I couldn't get to this story. I have break now, so I'm working on it now. Your reviews make me so happy! Thank you for leaving them, they really do brighten up my day. It makes me happy just to know that people are reading this story. Enjoy!**

Will honestly despised English. Since he failed the test, his teacher was making him write another essay on _Of Mice and Men_. And this time, Nico wasn't there to help him.

Now, he was stuck in the library.

It wasn't like he had anything better to do. But still, that didn't mean that he wanted to waste time on English. And now he had weekend homework!

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. For some delusional reason, he had hoped it was Nico. Instead, he turned to see Jason.

"Will," whispered Jason, "I need to talk to you."

"So talk," said Will, his voice quivering.

Jason's blue eyes were ice cold.

"I'm _talking_ to you outside."

"Well, what if I don't want to go outside," retorted Will.

"I'll make you go outside."

Will sighed and followed Jason out of the library.

"What?" Asked Will, irritated.

He was never like this. He would never use such a tone with someone like Jason. He would usually be afraid.

"Will, I'm trying to help you. Where did all those bruises come from?"

"Why do you care?" Asked Will, "you don't even like me!"

Why was Will acting so different?

"Don't you see what you're getting yourself into? There isn't a single way that this can end well," stated Jason, breathing heavily.

Will knew. He was well aware that this was terrifyingly unhealthy. But he could do this. He could. Right?

"Mind your own business," Will muttered, eyes trained on the ground.  
"After you get back from your trip, we're talking about this."

Will gaped at Jason. He wouldn't even tell Nico what was going on, so why would Will tell Jason?

"I'll make you tell me," spoke Jason, after a moment of silence.

Will wasn't scared. What was Jason going to do? Bruise him up even more? Will had nothing more to lose; Nico was gone, and his grades were starting to go downhill. Will felt a knot in the pit of his stomach.

"Go ahead."

Confusion masked Jason's concern, "What?"

Will realized that he was talking to the wrong person. It's not Jason he wanted to confront, it was his dad. But he couldn't look at Apollo without the tears welling up in his eyes, blurring his vision. Will was struggling to rationalize with himself, a task that seemed effortless a few months ago. After a good minute, Will settled for what he always did.

"Nevermind," he mumbled.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nico staring at them. Will tried to ignore the agony he felt, and pushed past Jason, going back into the library. A sensation of dread washed over him. He felt like an idiot.

He felt like he was everything Apollo told him he was.

* * *

Will was walking home. His heart was beating unnaturally fast. He was so sick of being afraid; it disgusted him. At this point, he was vulnerable to anything and everything. Apollo was either going to cuss him out or beat him up, and both options made him want to throw up. Well, technically, that wasn't even possible, because he hadn't eaten anything in what felt like forever.

His life was like one of those waterslides, the ones that swirl downwards. That's what he was going through: a downward spiral. Will just made a simile, Nico would be proud of him. Was that even a simile?

He made his way to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. The door wasn't wide open, so he took it as a good sign. Honestly, he didn't know what was a good sign anymore. His stomach was growling. He needed to eat something.

He quietly wandered towards the kitchen.

"Will," snapped Apollo, jerking Will out of his thoughts.

Chills ran up his back, and his blood ran cold. He just wanted to be used to this. _This_ was his life now. He didn't like the routine fear; he could sense every time something like this was going to happen, so why the panic?

 _Because you're a little bitch, that's why!_

Apollo was stuck in his head, his voice a painful roar in his ear. What did the real Apollo have to say?

"Saw the suitcases." Apollo didn't look human, "You're leaving?"

To anyone else, it would appear to be an innocent question, but Will knew better. He knew better, but he didn't do anything about it.

"No." It wasn't really a lie. He was only going to be gone for a few days.

Will was going to be at school at six a.m. the next day. It would be a matter of hours before he was gone. Everything would be alri-

Apollo's fist came at him, but not at the usual target.

This time, it was at his head.

Will fell to the ground, a searing pain pulsing within his head. His vision was blurry, but not with tears.

"Fuck you," Apollo grumbled, stalking off into the house.

* * *

A few hours later, the pain was still as prominent as when he had been hit. There was a faint ringing in his ears.

At least he could manage to correctly answer all the questions on his tournament study guide. He made an extensive study guide, highlighting all the important information that he would need to know. He couldn't afford to mess up tomorrow.

He felt tired, even more than usual. It was probably the blow to his head, and he was probably suffering a concussion. It was supposed to mellow out when he went to sleep, so he wasn't too bothered about it. He had other things to freak out about.

He set his alarm for four thirty, his usual time. He would take a shower, grab his bags, and go. Apollo didn't need to know he left. He'd probably cause Will to have severe brain damage.

He lay in his bed and squeezed his eyes shut. It was only a few hours until he could go away.

Few hours…

It seemed unreal, all of this. Nico, his dad, himself. He could only hope that things would be alright. But hope only goes so far in the real world.

 _The real world_ , god, he hated that phrase. It was something that Apollo used to shout at him when he was younger.

It was something that Apollo used to shout at him when he was just a kid with a dream.

 **AN: I'm sorry! Will won't be sad forever. Eventually, things will get better. But until then, ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Will should've expected this. If there really was a god, then they were definitely screwing with him. They had to be. Will couldn't think of any other excuse.

His assigned seat on the plane was next to Nico. Will could sense the blush on his face, he was probably flushed red just by the revelation. Will looked at Nico through the corner of his eye. His skin was still pale, eyes still full of emotion. His aviator jacket fit him perfectly, like usual. Nico was twisting his skull ring on his finger.

The plain sight of Nico could take Will's breath away. Beautiful, that was the only way to truly describe him. Not only his exterior, but the essence within him.

Will's head was still hurting from the night before, and the energy was slowly draining out of him. He somehow managed to sneak out of the house. Well, he didn't really sneak out. He just barely left with Apollo screaming after him. Regular things were becoming even harder to complete. Pain was all he could feel now, both inside and outside.

And Nico was sitting there beside him, calm as ever, still beautiful. He was so strong, putting up with Will's crap. Not anymore, though. Not anymore. The two words broke his heart. Will wanted to talk to Nico, he wanted to laugh with him over insignificant things. He wanted to run his hands through Nico's hair and engulf him in pointless hugs. Will wanted _Nico_. But Nico didn't want him.

Nobody wanted him. It was unsurprising, but it still hurt like hell.

The temperature suddenly dropped.

No, no, no, no-

And within a millisecond, his heartbeat accelerated. He found it hard to breathe, everything felt wrong. Will bit his lip to keep the tears from falling out. He couldn't-he wouldn't cry on a plane. He wouldn't cry next to Nico. He wouldn't look weak. It was technically useless to be worried about looking weak in front of Nico, considering that past week. But Will still had an issue with it.

In spite of all of this, he still found himself shakily saying, "Nico…"

Nico seemed to understand what was going on. "Will, you alright?"

He asked it casually, as if they were acquaintances. But there was an undertone in his voice, an undertone of genuine concern. Or maybe Will was just reading into it too much, he wasn't in a prime state of mind. He never was.

And for god's sake, could his hands stop shaking?

"I…I…Nico I…" He was fumbling with his words, unable to process anything.

Nico hesitated for a moment. "Will," he whispered, "do you want me to hold your hand?"

If it had been anyone else, Will would have taken it as pity. But the way Nico spoke, so gently. No intent to patronize, but instead, to heal. Nico wanted to heal Will. It was quite ironic, considering that Will was the one who wanted to be a doctor. He shut his eyes and nodded.

And the warmth overpowered the fear. Nico's hand was comforting, secure.

He was still experiencing the awful things that he was a minute ago, but at least now he wasn't alone.

* * *

He was rooming with Nico, too. How _convenient_.

"Which bed do you want?" Asked Nico.

It sounded strained, forced. That was basically their relationship at the moment. Tense.

He wondered what it would be like to sleep in the same bed as…no. No. _No_. Will could pathetically pine after Nico when the trip was over.

"Doesn't matter."

Nico shrugged with nonchalance and took the one near the door. Will sat on the other one. He opened up his bag, pulling out his highlighter and study guide. It was a good forty pages. Now _that_ was something to be proud of.

A laugh erupted from the other side of the room. Will looked at Nico in confusion.

"Of course you made a study guide," he teased, eyes shining, "what else would anyone expect?"

Will decided against being awkward about it. He played along with the banter.

"What did you do to prepare?" A small smile graced his face.

"I thought I would just wing it," said Nico casually.

Will couldn't help it, but he gasped loudly. Nico good-naturedly rolled his eyes.

"Why…why would you," started Will, scandalized.

The brown eyed boy offered him a lopsided smile, "You know I'd be fine."

And yeah, Nico was right. He usually was when he was talking about himself. But he should study, or at least review the concepts. So Will being the boy he was, blinded by feelings, wanted to help Nico. Not that he needed it.

"Do you…want to study with me?"

Nico was silent for a moment, "Yeah, sure."

He went over to Will's bed, laying on his stomach. His fingers were absently drumming on the sheets.

"Do you want to start with Biology?"

"Okay."

They were both aware of how weird this was. It was like before, but with a big, empty, gaping hole.

"Chapter one is basically-"

"Will," Nico said, effectively cutting him off.

Will looked up from his study guide, meeting Nico's eyes.

"Hm?" He feigned his serene attitude.

"What are we doing?"

Will knew it was a honest question. In fact, it was so honest it scared him.

"I really don't know," answered Will.

"I like you," he said, as if it was the first time he had come to this conclusion.

"I like you too."

But it wouldn't work out as long as Will was hiding the situation with Apollo. Will could barely handle himself, he couldn't maintain a connection with someone else. Sadly, that included Nico. Nico was the one who made that clear to him, so why this? Was it because they held hands on the plane? But that had just been to calm Will down, right? Or was it-

Nico sighed, "We'll put all this aside for these next few days. Let's just focus."

It was odd, having to hear this from Nico of all people. Nico di Angelo, who never cared to focus on anything except for English. Will was forced to agree. They needed to think rationally.

"So, chapter one," he said, attempting ignore the desolate feeling in his chest.

He couldn't figure out if it was the aftermath of the panic attack or the conversation with Nico.

* * *

"Okay, guys, as you know, we will be competing tomorrow morning. Be awake by seven o' clock. We'll have a practice run in my room," Mr. Brunner stated.

They were eating dinner, and Will was finally getting some food. He was so relieved, but his head still hurt for some reason. Will had assumed that it was a mere concussion, brushing it off as nothing. The bruises on his body were worse, right? Oh, god. He hoped Nico wouldn't see his bruises when he was changing.

Speaking of Nico, he was staring at Will. And Will? Will couldn't even muster the strength to meet his eyes.

And now that he was thinking about it, he felt tired. Tired didn't describe it, he felt fatigued. Enervated. He wanted to sleep for hours on end. No, days.

 _No_ , he wanted to sleep forever. He didn't want to wake up from his slumber.

That way, he wouldn't have to face Apollo. He wouldn't have to face the bruises. He wouldn't have to face himself.

Will was the problem. Pushing everyone away from him, ignoring everyone who cared. But he didn't really have many people who _did_ care. He hadn't talked to Lou after he stayed at her house, just whispering a mere thank you. Cecil was practically nonexistent in his life. Nico; well, they all knew how that had ended up. Jason barely knew him.

But at the same time, Will was so close to getting out of the situation. Just two more years, two more years and he was done. Done with all of this absurdity. He wasn't going to waste all his suffering for nothing.

He wasn't.

 **AN: Holy shit! OVER A HUNDRED REVIEWS! Thank you guys so much! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF. GUYS! HIJOGHHIFHIOFNIVSNLSnksdfndi-I'm freaking out. I love everyone that takes the time to read this story! I should be nicer with the story and not torture Will, but it's necessary with the current plot. So, until next time. Have a fantastic day!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

His phone went off at four thirty in the morning. Will wasn't too surprised because, well, he _was_ expecting it. But he also forgot to take the fact that Nico was rooming with him into consideration. He suddenly felt nervous, as if something terrible were to happen. But Nico wasn't Apollo, he wouldn't get that mad. Nico wouldn't...hurt him. Would he?

Was he really doubting everything now? Even Nico?

"What the hell, Will?"

Will fumbled for a light in the dark room. He turned it on and Nico gasped.

"It's the middle of the night," stated Nico, lowering his voice.

"It's four thirty in the morning."

Nico scoffed, "Same thing."

Will rolled his eyes, "It is _so_ not the same thing!"

"Close enough."

Will settled for that.

"I should go shower."

He grabbed his clothes and walked into the bathroom before Nico could say a thing.

He made sure to lock the door, and turned the shower on. He stared at the assorted shampoo and soap bottles. It was a nice hotel that they were staying at. When Will was a little boy, he used to travel a lot with his-

Everything in the room went blurry. Will shut his eyes.

He opened them slowly and was able to see the area properly.

This better not happen during the tournament.

The water felt nice on his skin for once, because it was at a decent temperature. There was the scathing feeling all over his body, but lately, he'd been trying to stop focusing on it. Then his head felt wet, and it stung.

A lot.

He almost yelled out in pain, but he harshly bit down on his lip. Nico was in the other room and the walls were very thin. Will screaming would only add onto the recipe for disaster. The metallic taste of blood rushed into his mouth.

How lovely.

He finished with his shower and got dressed. He exited the bathroom to find Nico sound asleep.

There wasn't a blanket on him, so Will pulled the blanket upwards to cover his frame. He noticed the subtle rise and fall of his chest, as well as the calm look on his face. Nico looked cute.

Will turned off the lights and set his alarm for six-thirty, taking out his phone to see pictures of his study guide. He took them incase he was in a position in which he couldn't take the paper version out.

He started to reread the entire thing.

* * *

"It's a bacteriophage!" Yelled Nico.

"Correct," said Mr. Brunner.

"And what is the formula used for acceleration?"

"Final velocity subtracted from initial velocity, divided by the final time subtracted by initial time," answered Will.

"Damn," remarked Octavian sarcastically, "that's so amazing. You probably studied _so much_ just to-"

"Why does it matter to you?" Demanded Nico.

"Well, it's just that we have people on this team who could answer that without studying. Will isn't smart, he just wastes his time staring at books."

Will tried to ignore what Octavian was saying, he really did. But it wouldn't seem to get out of his mind. What he said held so much resemblance to his father. It nagged at him, reminding him of every beating, every crude word spoken to him.

"Oh," seethed Nico, "say that again. I dare you."

He looked deadly. And for some ludicrous reason it caused him to feel even worse.

"Boys!" interrupted Mr. Brunner, "We hardly have time for this now. Octavian, I will deal with you later."

Okay, later. That was alright. All Will needed to do was focus on the present.

The room broke out into more studying rounds. Will sighed and went back to looking over his notes. A hand squeezed his shoulder. A flare of pain ran down his arm, provoking him to inhale sharply.

"You okay?"

Will turned around to face Nico, "Fine," he murmured, distracted.

Distracted by what? He had no idea.

"You sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be-"

Nico shook his head, "You look pale. Like you're sick or something."

Will smiled weakly, "Must be the…uh..."

"You can't think of an excuse, huh? I can tell Mr. Brunner you're not feeling well."

"No!"

Nico didn't get it. He didn't understand. Will had to do this. As of now, it was one of the only things he was living for.

"I'm going to figure out what's going on, you know that, right?"

No.

"Nothing's going on," Will lied.

Nico's face looked grim, "Okay, we'll see."

Will wrung his hands together.

"Time for the tournament!" Announced Mr. Brunner.

Nico smirked, "Let's go kick some ass."

He resisted the urge to say, _Language!_

* * *

"And the winner is….Half Blood High!"

The room broke out into cheers, and the opposing team was silent. Will was stagnant on the stage, waiting for the rush of endorphins to hit him. Waiting to feel something positive, _anything_. Waiting for a genuine smile to take over his face. But there he stood, numb.

Though he wasn't exactly numb.

A dull pain lulled throughout his body, mainly residing in his head. His throat felt peculiarly dry. His hands were shaking, ever so slightly.

Lights flashed everywhere and happy music played in the background. He wasn't happy.

Their team walked off stage, endlessly babbling about how excited they were. Will fell behind.

Nico walked beside him, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," He said.

But then the realization crashed into him; what was he thinking? The minute he returned back home, his dad was going to murder him. Will feared for his life.

He feared for his life, but at the same time, he wanted to cease to exist.

They reached the bus.

It was dark outside. Will hadn't realized how much time they had spent in the building. The moon shone brightly over their heads, illuminating the parking lot.

Will began to feel lightheaded.

They climbed onto the bus and Will took the seat at the back. Nico sat next to him.

"Why are you...nevermind," he was too dizzy to say anything.

He felt himself leaning on Nico, the warmth enveloping him. His hand wrapped around Will's shoulder firmly.

It hurt, but he didn't care.

And then he blacked out.

 **AN: I should be nice with this chapter after leaving for such a long time, but whatever! I am alive, just very uninspired. As for people asking when I post, I had originally said every Wednesday, but I didn't exactly hold up to that. I'll try to post every Wednesday or every other Wednesday. Have a nice day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Will opened his eyes to a white ceiling. Intense lights glared above him, stinging his eyes. Still disoriented, he decided upon closing his eyes again.

"William Solace?" A voice asked.

Will mumbled something in agreement.

"Well, that's what it says on the paperwork. I'm your doctor, Maria Vasquez."

His eyes shot open. A tall Latina woman was staring back at him. Her eyes shimmered with sympathy, causing resentment to flow through him. He didn't need her sympathy.

"My what?" He questioned quietly. It hurt to talk.

"Doctor. You passed out. But that isn't all, and you know that."

He passed out? They know now, they all _know_ now. Panic surged through him. He felt like he was in a cage, eyes flitting all over the room.

"I…"

He swallowed thickly.

"Don't strain yourself. Your chaperone is waiting outside. Should I tell him to come in?"

Maria's tone sounded warm, inviting. Will didn't feel warm. His body felt like a block of ice destined to be frozen forever. The thing he was most afraid of was not knowing what was going to happen next. His whole plan had gone down the drain just because his _stupid body_ wanted to pass out.

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed.

"I'll go get him."

A few minutes passed before the door was pulled open by Maria. Mr. Brunner rolled in on his wheelchair.

"I'll leave you two alone."

Silence encompassed the room. That is, until Mr. Brunner chose to speak up.

"They decided not to call family," he said, eyes downcast, "considering…things could get worse."

Will kept his mouth shut.

"We can't really confirm anything unless you talk."

He stared at Mr. Brunner. If his dad didn't know then maybe, just maybe he could figure out a way to spin this. His plan could still work. Nothing will change.

 _But everything already had changed._

"So...talk?" Asked Mr. Brunner, seemingly unsure.

What did these people think he was going to do? Spill his entire life story? They must be insane to think that Will would allow himself to be vulnerable to some _stranger_ , who didn't understand half of what he had been through to-

"This is a huge deal, Will. This is the law, okay?"

Oh, yes. Like Will was some idiot that didn't know abuse was a felony. He was being treated like a child.

Probably because he was acting like one.

If he just _listened_ for a second then he could-

"Nico wanted to wait for you, but I sent him back to his room. Naturally, he's been blowing up my phone. When Nico di Angelo wants something he doesn't quit." His teacher lightly chuckled. "He doesn't know what's going on...I asked him. So, it's up to you to tell him or not. I can send him in, if you would like."

He didn't know if he could face Nico at the moment. Because facing Nico meant questions that he wasn't ready to answer. Facing Nico meant explaining _everything_ , between the bruises and his dad. Facing Nico meant facing the truth.

"We have the rest of the week here. You're in an extremely unhealthy condition, so you will be staying in the hospital. But I need an explanation before we return. This isn't a light matter. Should I send him in?"

Will did something stupid. He nodded.

Mr. Brunner smiled reassuringly, "Will, I know I don't understand what you are going through. But you'd be wrong to think I'm not going to help."

He rolled out.

Will was nervous to see Nico because of the questions, the prying. The best it would probably do was cause Will a panic attack.

But all he could do now was wait.

And waiting, that was the most torturous part of it all.

* * *

"Will."

Nico looked distraught, like he hadn't slept. His hair was sticking up, and he looked paler than usual. Will wanted to punch himself in the face for causing Nico any form of pain, but Apollo would beat him up anyways.

But now, he may not have to go back to that monster. Now, maybe he-

"Oh my god," Nico bit his lip, "this must be really bad."

Will wanted to say, _No, I'm fine_ , but then he would be lying. He couldn't bear to lie to Nico any more than he already had.

"I mean, Mr. Brunner wouldn't even tell me a bit of what's going on. And you would have known exactly what would happen in the back of your head, because you love Anatomy. And you're good at it too, so you must have known, right?" Accused Nico, eyes flashing with anger, hurt, and a bunch of other emotions.

Will looked away.

"So what is it? A disease? An addiction?"

Saying he had an addiction would be easier than the truth.

"You know I wouldn't be addicted to any-"

Nico crossed his arms, "No, Will. Apparently, I don't _know_ anything about you at all."

"Please don't do this…"

Nico shook his head, his eyes glazing over with tears.

"You don't get to tell me what I do. What is this? What's going on?" He asked, gesturing wildly towards his hospital bed.

"Nico…"

Glassy brown eyes glared at him.

A tear rolled down Nico's cheek. Will had never seen him cry before. That hurt worse than anything Nico could say to him.

He wiped it away.

"I wanted to help!" He was yelling now, practically hysterical.

Will wasn't afraid, though. Not now, not with Nico. Even though he was screaming and upset, he wouldn't hurt Will. Never.

This wasn't an epiphany. Will had known that he was safe with Nico all along.

"I know."

"Of course you know," spat Nico, "I told you."

Will couldn't tell Nico about his dad, not now. This was his own battle. But if he ever wanted a chance with Nico again, he had to tell him.

So it was settled. After he returned from the trip, he would tell Nico about Apollo.

"I will explain," Will stated, "when I'm ready. That will be soon."

"Soon?"

Soon. I promise."

Promising it to Nico caused Will to realize that he needed to do something about the bruises. He needed to do something about Apollo.

He didn't know what, though.

"I'm trusting you," said Nico, like he didn't believe it himself.

Nico was putting his trust in him. And Will figured that was a big deal, because why else would he say that aloud?

The brown-eyed boy tried for a smile, "Okay, what can I do?"

"Give me a hug? Lightly."

"Always."

 _Soon_.

 **AN: A fluffy ending to this chapter. Also ominous, because what is Will going to do about Apollo? Please note that I am NOT trying to romanticize abuse, but rather show that it takes a huge toll on one's mental health and prevents people from making meaningful connections. Just felt like I needed to say that. Also I am very sorry for the late updates! I love you all, and have a nice day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"What is this?" Will questioned to nobody in particular.

He pushed around the Mac and Cheese on his plate with a fork. Well, a spork. Same difference. He may have been aching for a proper meal, but he was definitely not eating this. It looked like yellow feces. He inwardly rolled his eyes at himself; was he really being picky? Now? It sounded like a lost cause to even _pretend_ he had standards. He shut his eyes and brought the creamy pasta to his mouth.

 _Oh._

It was delicious. Will's opinion may be a bit inaccurate, considering he forgot what cheese even tasted like. But it tasted amazing. As amazing as something can be when he's stuck in a hospital bed and being interrogated everyday.

"Will!"

Speaking of which, Maria had been coming in every day to speak with him and try to get him to say something. It's been three days. Will was beginning to grow a bit frustrated. But then he had to remind himself that these people were trying to help him. They _wanted_ Will to be safe, wanted Will to be free of the bruises.

Will wasn't really sure what he wanted.

His breath would hitch at the very thought of Apollo, and he forgot what it was like to feel comfortable. Having his dad gone would be the best thing.

But it would also be the worst thing.

Because then myriads of questions would start to flow in, and his life would fall apart. He didn't even know if he had any other family. He'd get looks of sympathy from anyone who knew. He was so accustomed to the way things were. The prospect of change...scared him.

At this point, what didn't scare him?

"Ms. Vasquez," he greeted.

She sent him a kind smile, "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

It was a go-to response for him.

"Good, then we can start to talk about _why_ you have these bruises."

Oh, no. Will figured that this would have to happen eventually. But he still wasn't ready to say anything. He was-

 _Scared._

"I-"

"I know this must be hard for you, but we've dealt with abuse patients before. We know what we're doing."

Abuse?

Will almost said that he wasn't being abused, that she was crazy, they were _all_ crazy, but he managed to prevent himself from doing so. What good would this do? Lying to a doctor? Hell, Will wanted to be a doctor too. If he were in Ms. Vasquez's shoes, he would say the exact same thing.

Thoughts rushed through his head, both good and bad. Mostly bad. Will took a deep breath. He needed to calm himself down. He didn't want to have another panic attack. He couldn't _handle_ another panic attack.

He needed to articulate himself clearly and get technical. He understood that he was emotional right now, but he couldn't allow that to disrupt anything.

"I don't know what's going to happen, and that scares me." he confessed.

He bit back his surprise. He did it. He told her how he felt.

Ms. Vasquez nodded, an understanding expression on her face. She sat down on a chair near his bed.

"I know," she said soothingly, "you need to trust me."

He didn't know if he wanted to. He didn't know if he could.

A moment of silence passed. Will was painfully aware that anything he said to her from now on would hugely impact his life. Will wasn't sure if he would be able to adapt.

"I can try."

Well, he'll have to figure something out. He always does, anyways.

"Let's get started."

* * *

Will didn't tell her _everything_ , but he told her enough. He felt guilty, like a kid caught stealing from a cookie jar. It all felt so _wrong_. The sinking feeling in his chest told him that much. He didn't feel liberated or enthusiastic. Shouldn't he feel that way?

He wished he could go away for a while to escape all this chaos. Just a little while. If he could leave, he'd probably go to Greece. He wouldn't have to deal with anything, he'd just sit outside with his thoughts, basking in the warmth of the sun. There'd be a pleasant breeze that would speed up every once in a while. And when it got dark, Will would lay down and gaze at the night sky. It was a bit cliche, but he wanted it _so bad_.

He'd been to Greece once before.

He was very young when he had gone, maybe five or six years old.

He remembered laughing. That _feeling_ , laughing so hard that he wouldn't care about anything else in that moment because he was so damn happy. He remembered feeling safe, like the world would protect him no matter what. He felt like he could jump off any building there and he wouldn't be injured from the fall. Not even a single bruise. He remembered how serene it all was. Everything ran smoothly, perfe-

 _No._

He didn't want to think about it anymore, because all it was doing was reminding him of what he didn't have anymore.

He didn't really have much of anything anymore.

* * *

Nico walked into his room.

Will noted that he looked better. For one thing, his hair wasn't any more of a mess than usual. His eyes had that determined glint in them, like he could take on the world.

Will figured that determination was Nico's form of hope.

"Hey," said Nico.

"Hi."

Will hadn't exactly talked to Nico since the other day, so he was at a loss for what to say.

"How are you feeling?"

Will thought for a moment. He didn't feel good, but bad didn't really fit his mood either.

"Fine."

He was back to fine?

Nico smirked, "Well let's turn that frown upside down."

Will's jaw dropped. What the hell?

Said boy cringed, "I can't believe I just said that. That was so cheesy."

Will almost laughed, "Me neither."

"I meant it, though."

"I know."

 **AN: A bit short, but at least I updated it, right? I am so sorry! I swear I wanted to update, but then so many things happened so I procrastinated. I just want you guys to know that this story is definitely still a top priority for me, and I will try to update as much as I can. Have a nice day!**


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